


June in Ten: Is it too late to remind you how we were?

by NobleLandMermaid



Series: June in Ten [4]
Category: The Office (US)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Post-Series, Reunited and It Feels So Good, Romance, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-16
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2019-01-18 01:50:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12378393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NobleLandMermaid/pseuds/NobleLandMermaid
Summary: Ten years after she rejected him, Pam and Jim meet up at the 2016 Dunder Mifflin company retreat in the Poconos.





	June in Ten: Is it too late to remind you how we were?

**Author's Note:**

> In this scenario, we'll be following canon more or less through S3, except Pam and Roy married.

"And then the teacher let go and I didn't even sink, Mommy."

"That's amazing, sweetie," Pam said to her phone, her wet-haired daughter on the screen. "You will have to show me next time."

"Now we're gonna go to grandma's for dinner, right, Dad?"

"Yes, but you gotta eat all your veggies tonight if you want ice cream." Pam heard Roy's voice say.

"You didn't make me eat them all last night and I still got ice cream," Sophie said.

Pam giggled as the screen quickly spun around. "You trying to get me in trouble with your mother, kiddo?" Roy said, his brows knitted at Sophie. His eyes went to the screen, "We have a fish for a daughter, Pammy."

"Who apparently can't keep a secret," Pam replied.

Roy laughed, his dimples in full view. "How's the retreat?" he asked.

Pam peeked around the building to the crowd of people in bright colored tee-shirts gathered around a sand court. "It's the final volleyball match between Nashua and Rochester, we got knocked out in the last round."

"Bummer," Roy said. Sophie started whining about being hungry and Roy rolled his eyes. "Alright, we better go. Oh, and um, Happy Anniversary."

Pam blushed a little and put on a smile, "Happy Anniversary, Roy." Her smile faded once the screen went black and she circled the building.

The company retreat had been fun but she was ready to head home, take a bath and enjoy a quiet evening with some wine and some Netflix. She wandered a bit away from the main crowd down a tree-lined path, then froze when she saw him on a bench in his kelly green "Dunder Mifflin New York" tee-shirt, his thumbs texting rapidly on his phone.

The Stamford branch merged with Scranton not six months after she married, and he returned with a new title and a new girlfriend to a different desk and a different attitude towards her, terse and distant. A few short months after that he interviewed for corporate and transferred to New York to take over Jan's job. She went over countless scenarios in her head of how to confront him, tell him that just because she was married didn't mean they couldn't be friends, didn't mean she didn't care about him. But at his "going away/congrats on the corporate job" party, she couldn't bring herself to do it, only giving him a smile and a "Good Luck".

Jim would visit the Scranton branch every few weeks, and with each visit the ice cracked a little; the smile he greeted her with became bigger, their chit-chat started to feel more like the banter of years past. She was worried they'd have a setback once she couldn't hide her growing belly anymore, and his eyes did immediate drift down and his smile faded slightly when she stood to greet him one day. "I suppose it's time to tell you about little Michael Scott," she deadpanned and he looked horrified before bursting out into laughter and offering his congratulations.

A few months later Sophia Marie Anderson was born. Jim sent a board book about a hedgehog along with a hedgehog stuffed animal. Roy asked what was up with the hedgehog theme. Pam suppressed a smile, remembering a few years back when she was obsessed with the cuteness of hedgehogs, doodling them on sticky notes and sticking them to Jim's faxes. "No idea," she said.

Jim was canned with the rest of the New York office during the Sabre mess, becoming the manager of sales or distribution or something somewhere in New York. When David Wallace became the head of Dunder Mifflin again, Jim was quickly brought back as a VP. But there had been whispers about him all day during the picnic; that he and Karen finally split after years of being off-and-on, that he was investing in some start up in Philadelphia and was probably going to jump ship at any moment.

It took every ounce of courage she had to walk up and sit by him. "Hey."

Jim looked up from his phone and gave her a smile. In many ways he had changed so much; at some point his face matured and he went from boyish and cute to just downright good-looking. He also clearly put far more effort and money into his hair. But he smiled and he was still that lanky, floppy haired salesman she met so long ago, that she rejected so long ago.

"So, there are a lot of rumors floating around about you," Pam blurted out. He gave her a 'yeah?' and she nodded. "Yeah about Karen and some start-up in Philly."

"Well, typically I'd say don't believe the rumors but..." he gave her a shrug. "How's Sophie doing?"

She felt silly that him knowing her daughter's name made her blush. "She's doing okay, it's been a tough year for all of us, but her grades are good, she's taking swimming lessons this summer."

His brows rose in worry, "Tough year, huh?"

"Yeah, um," Pam lifted her left hand, showing off her ring-free finger.

Jim's eyes widened and Pam was sure she saw a small smile before he restrained himself, "Wow, when - when did that happen?"

"We separated last fall, and the divorce came through last month." She nodded, "It's okay though, Sophie's been great, and Roy's been great too actually. I think we're turning out to be better as friends than we ever were as a couple."

Jim nodded, "Yeah that's kind of the same with me and Karen."

A bell rang in the distance and someone on a megaphone announced that raffle prizes were about to be doled out. Pam turned to Jim and smiled, "Ooh, raffle prizes!"

"Yeah, trust me, they are not worth getting excited about," Jim said in his sardonic tone. They laughed and he cast his gaze down, nervously playing with his phone, "Hey, um, do you..." He looked up at her, a look that reminded her an awful lot of ten years ago in the Dunder Mifflin parking lot, and her heart jumped into her throat. "Do you wanna get out of here?"

She took a shaky breath before smiling and nodding, "Yeah, I do."

"Okay." The smile broke out on his face, "Great." He stood and reached out his hand to help her up, and she wondered if she was just imagining that he held her hand a beat longer than needed. They walk down the gravel path to the parking lot. "Your car here or...?" he asked.

Pam shook her head, "Drove up with Meredith." She looked back at the distant group of bright colored shirts and khaki shorts, "Should we tell someone we're leaving?"

Jim shrugged, unlocking his car and opening the door for Pam. "Doesn't matter, I'm about to leave this company anyway."

*****

It was amazing how easy it was with him, Pam thought as they made their way down the narrow, wooded roads back to Scranton. She had barely seen him for years but he kept tossing her smiles and making her laugh and it was easy to feel like they were good friends again.

They stopped at a Calabria's Pizza in Dunmore, Jim telling Pam the small, quaint restaurant was his favorite growing up. Once they were on their last slice of pizza and had thoroughly discussed how a Dwight Scrute-run company picnic would go, complete with event names (the three legged race would likely become the "Blitzrunnen", Pam decided) and raffle prizes (it would definitely still have eyes, Jim said), a buzz came from Pam's phone.

Laughing, Pam checked the message from Roy, mostly to make sure it had nothing to do with Sophie, then froze when a photo started to load. It was from the cake-cutting on their wedding day, them laughing with white frosting smeared on their faces. " _Despite everything, it's still one of the best days of my life,_ " the text below said.

"What is it?" Jim asked. Pam snapped her eyes up and said it was nothing and Jim tilted his head. "Not that I don't believe you, but your face definitely says otherwise."

Pam let out a soft scoff and shook her head, "Roy just sent me a photo from our wedding. Today is ten years-"

"I know," Jim said quickly and quietly.

Pam bit her lip and then handed her phone to Jim to let him read the text. "If I were meaner I would text back that it was hardly the best day of my life. He got drunk, shoved that cake in my face even though I told him a thousand times not to, and his brother's stupid toast-"

"But you're not meaner," Jim said with half-grin, setting the phone down.

"Not on purpose at least," Pam said in a weaker tone than intended, looking down when she saw his smile fade. "Hey, did you ever go to Sundae's Best as a kid?"

Jim's face instantly lit up. "Oh yeah, that was a summer basketball camp tradition, getting banana splits at Sundae's Best at the end of the week."

"I actually live right by there, maybe we can get ice cream?"

Jim said that sounded good and they drove across town to the small shop, which was packed with high school students and young families. Once they bought their ice cream and saw there was no place to sit, Pam suggested they just drive to her place.

Pam felt jitters she hadn't really felt since high school when Jim pulled up to the curb of her house. She handed Jim the banana split she had been holding and started on her own sundae.

"Oh yeah, still the best," Jim said with a mouthful of ice cream.

Pam smiled, "Did you ever hang out in that big lot next to the ice cream shop before they wedged a strip mall into there?"

"Ah, I thought something was different." Jim grinned, "Yeah, I hung out there, Becky McAllister let me get to second base there." Pam giggled and Jim looked at her with a smile and furrowed brows "What, you and Roy never macked in the Sundae's Best parking lot?"

"Never," Pam paused a moment and then smirked, "But Joe Davis and I did a few times the summer before junior year."

Jim nodded and grinned at Pam's revelation, "Nice! So what happened with Joey D?"

"Eh, not much more than the parking lot make-out sessions, we went back to school and he stared dating some senior girl ten seconds after he broke it off with me."

"More like Joey D-bag then?" Jim said. Pam laughed and nodded. "So," Jim kept his eyes on his sundae, "you tried dating at all or are there too many Joeys out there?"

Pam felt a tug at the corner of her mouth, telling herself not to read too much into Jim's inquiry. "Not really, my friends have dragged me to a couple group things. It's not a help that I have no real dating experience and I have a kid to consider." She took another bite and glanced over at him, "What about you, how's the New York dating scene?"

Jim chuckled, "I'm pretty over all things New York. New York crowds, New York prices, you know this banana split would be a hundred dollars in New York?" Pam laughed, and he cracked a smile, "I'm dead serious, you gotta drop a Benjamin to get a decent banana split in Manhattan."

"Drop a Benjamin?" Pam mocked, before a spoonful of ice cream fell off her spoon and onto her chin. She quickly cupped her chin and tried not to laugh while Jim fumbled around for a napkin to give her. "Oh my god, I'm messier than my eight-year-old," Pam said, her chin and fingers still sticky after wiping them.

"Yeah, get it together, Beesly," Jim joked.

She tried to ignore that her cheeks warmed at him calling her "Beesly" and gave him a shy smile, spotting a spot of fudge below his lip. "You have some too, Mr. Judgey, right here," she placed her finger under her lip.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, completely missing the spot.

"No, no, here," she reached over with her thumb and placed it in the dip halfway between his lip and chin. She wanted to laugh at the fact that she was really just smearing it, but then her eyes met his, completely focused on her, his expression unreadable.

She pulled her hand away and smiled, "I just made it worse, we're going to have to get you to a faucet and some soap."

"I'm going to hope you have both those things in your house," Jim said, cracking a smile.

"I don't live on Schrute Farms, so I can confidently say yes." Pam retorted and Jim laughed. Before she could say anything else, Jim had jumped out and walked to the passenger side to open the door.

The nervous feeling returned as Pam stepped out of the car and dug for her keys in her bag. "You heading back to New York after this?" she asked shyly after a few steps.

"I don't know, there is a corporate-compted room back at the resort if I want it, but I gotta room with Kendall the HR guy," Jim said with a slight sneer.

"Tough choice," Pam replied when they reached the porch. She smiled a smile that faded as soon as she turned to unlock the door. Would he really just wash his face and go? She should offer him a drink or ... or something. She put on her smile again as she opened the door and motioned for Jim to step in, following not far behind.

She walked in a few steps to where Jim stood, "Um, bathroom is down the hall here." She looked to Jim, who had that unreadable expression on his face again before he mumbled 'thanks' and headed down the hall.

Once she hear the bathroom door latched, Pam let out a sigh, and then headed to the kitchen to wash her hands. She eyed the couple bottles of liquor she kept above the refrigerator, and she had any number of juices to mix them with. Maybe she should be presumptuous and just mix up drinks. He did sound annoyed about having to drive, maybe she could offer the spare room.

Maybe she should just kiss him.

The door creaked and he was already heading to the kitchen. So much for mixing drinks...

"So this is Chez Pam?" Jim said, looking around has he walked towards her.

"Yeah, I thought about downgrading after... but I can still swing the mortgage and Sophie's at a good school, so I decided to stay for now."

"I like it, looks like a nice place for you two," Jim said. "Definitely beats my broom closet in New York."

"You completely over your New York apartment?" Pam said with a smile.

"Definitely. I mean, it's fine for New York but still kitchen's too small to do much in, living room can comfortably seat no more than two, bedroom meant for a cot at most but I somehow managed to get a queen size in there. Might have to use a chainsaw to get it back out."

Pam laughed and opened the refrigerator, "Do you want anything to drink, I have milk, juice boxes, soda, those annoying little 8 ounce water bottles..."  
  
"Tiny water bottle would probably be good for the ride," Jim said after a moment. Pam hid her disappointment that he wanted someone portable but managed a smile when she walked over and handed him the bottle. "Thanks," he uttered, picking at the label. "So, um, did you paint this?" he motioned to a framed painting in the entrance-way, a watercolor of Irish high stepper dancers.

"Yes, I was chosen a couple years ago to paint a mural at the Irish Culture center and that's the design I submitted."

"That's awesome, Pam," Jim said, and Pam couldn't believe she had almost forgotten about the rush she always felt when he complimented her art. "Next time I'm in town you'll have to take me by the finished product."

"Definitely," Pam said. She laced her fingers together and shyly looked to Jim, who has resumed picking the label on the water bottle.

Jim pointed over his shoulder, "I should, um..."  
  
"Of course, of course," Pam said, purposefully taking her time to the door. When she reached it, she turned to him. "So... have you decided, New York broom closet or hotel room with HR guy?"  
  
"Probably Poconos just because it's closer, neither option is terribly appealing though."  
  
Pam laughed politely and started looking at her feet, "Maybe, if you want..." she said started quietly.  
  
Jim's smiled faded and he studied her face. "Yeah?"

She hardly made eye contact as she walked a couple steps past him and motioned down the hall again, "Well, I mean, I have a spare bedroom, it's kind of cluttered but I can-" She turned back and the only thing in her field of vision was his bright green company shirt.

"What do you think I should do?" he asked in a low tone.

Pam looked up at him, her heart racing as he just watched her. She finally found the words, though her voice was no higher than a whisper. "I think you should stay."

He took another step forward, his eyes on her face as he set the water bottle down on the entry table. Her gaze fell onto his hand that he lifted slowly until it was stroking her cheek. His other hand went to her waist.

Their lips touched and it was just like it was a decade ago; soft, persistent in a gentle way. She opened her eyes when his lips left hers and her breath hitched when she saw his face, as vulnerable and tentatively hopeful as it was in that dimly lit office, when he silently asked her to be brave enough to love him back, when she broke both their hearts by saying she couldn't.

But now she could, and she showed him by putting her hands behind his ears (hair as soft as she remembered) and pulling his face to hers. If the first kiss was a sweet longing then this second kiss was pure want: his tongue slipping in her mouth easily, his hand spanning her back pulling her flush to him. She exhaled when his lips started moving down her cheek and jaw to her neck, and shivered a little when she felt his hand slipping up under her bright blue shirt to touch the bare skin of her back, toying with waistband of her shorts.

Her hands slipped out of his hair and softly pushed his shoulders away and he lifted his head, his breaths heavy. The worried look was back for a second, before Pam smiled slightly and took his hand and started walking to the stairs. She didn't look back at him until she had lead him into her bedroom, turning to take his hands in hers. He gave them a small tug and he's kissing her again, and now she's the one with her hands creeping up under his shirt and over the smooth, taunt muscles of his back. He broke the kiss for just a moment to pull his shirt over his head and tossed the green garment to the floor.

She had thought he looked a little broader and now she was face to face with his chest and could see he had definitely being hitting the gym, his shoulders broad and torso defined. His hands went to her hips, then under her shirt hem and he tugged the bright blue tee-shirt over her head.

The thought popped into her mind that she was wearing what had to be the least sexy bra in the world, beige and sweat-stained from the “team-building” activities at the retreat earlier. But she caught him looking at her, wetting his lips as his eyes traveled over her breasts. His lips were on hers again and she felt his fingers against her back. Because brains and memories are awful things, she started to recall how Roy's bra removal skills seemingly never improved over their nearly two decades together. Thankfully, Jim did not have this problem and soon the unsexy bra was on the floor, his fingers brushing her ribs and the underside of her breasts before making their way to the button of her shorts.

With her shorts and underwear pooled at her feet, she briefly felt a little intimidated, she wasn’t in bad shape but there were several places that weren’t nearly as firm as they were a decade ago, and certainly not as firm as he was. But after looking her up and down he shook his head, muttered "God," and crushed his lips to hers, his hands traveling down her back, over her bottom and then back up. She slowly walked backwards until her mattress hit the back of her thighs and tore her mouth from his. Eyes on him, she sat down and started scooting back until she was reclined on the bed, and she watched his hands go to his belt.

Though she had been feeling pretty bold so far, out of shyness or something she only quickly glanced down once he was standing naked, just enough to see he was definitely ready, but she snapped her eyes to his as he climbed up on the bed, nudging her legs apart with his knee. His finger trailed down her stomach, causing her to gasp when they reached their mark. She was also more than ready and as they kissed, she shifted beneath him until his hips rested between her thighs.

He paused and looked at her, "You okay?" he asked softly. She took a couple breaths before nodding, then a moan came from the back of her throat as he slid into her.

He held still for a moment, his heavy breaths in her ear, before starting to move, slow and deliberate at first, still giving her long, wet kisses. When he quickened the pace she reached up under his arms and gripped his shoulders tightly, her face in the crook of his neck. "I love you, I always have," she whispered against his skin, so quietly she was doubtful he heard. And that was okay, she was more admitting it to herself than anything.

Not much else was said, just heavy breaths and soft moans and 'Oh God's until he groaned loudly and collapsed on her. She stroked the damp hair at the nape of his neck while his breaths slowed and he lifted himself back up a little to rest his forehead on hers. "Say it again," he said, voice gravelly, "what you said just now."

Pam's heart was already racing and now she was sure it would beat out of her chest. "I love you. I ... I always have."

He reached up to cup her cheek, "I love you." He gave a small smile, "I never stopped loving you."

Pam's chin trembled despite herself and he leaned down, kissing the corners of her eyes where tears has started to bead. He rolled to his side and pulled her to his chest, stroking her hair and whispering, "it's okay" and "I love you" until Pam stopped shaking from her sobs.

"What do we do now?" Pam asked after a few moments.

"Well hopefully we're going to do each other at least three more times this evening. Then I suppose sleep, then two more times tomorrow morning."

“Wow,” Pam replied with a laugh.

"Just basically going until we can't anymore is my goal," Jim said.

"And what about after our wanton sex weekend?"

"Wanton Sex Weekend, I like it," Jim said with a grin that faded when he looked to Pam's worried eyes. He brushed a curl back behind her ear and stroked her cheek. "After that I'm not totally sure, but we’ll figure it out.” His green eyes searched her face, “I'm through with not having you in my life, Pam."

Pam smiled softly and lifted her face to kiss him.

*****

“So, I have a question,” Pam said, Jim on his back and her curled up to his side. She started to trail her fingers across his chest, “When exactly did this happen?”

Jim chuckled, “It’s my Break-up Bod, Pam, can’t you tell?”

“What’s a break-up bod?” Pam laughed.

“You know, when you hate your job and your long term relationship is slowing yet painfully dying so you all you can do is start drowning your sorrows in either excessive booze or excessive exercising.”

“Well I suppose I’m glad you chose exercising. it’s still a little intimidating,“ she said quietly.

“First off, don’t get used to this, it’s not sustainable," he said, rolling to his side and propping himself on his elbow. "And second, you,” he gently pulled the covers down and kissed her bare shoulder, "are," he moved down to kiss between her breasts, "amazing," his lips circled her nipple and she moaned softly and arched her back involuntarily.

Jim continued kissing down to her navel, his hand slipping up the inside of her thigh until it reached where her legs met.

"So, Beesly," he said in a low, husky tone, "you ready to recommence Wanton Sex Weekend?"

Pam felt the corners of her lips curl up, "Absolutely I am."

When he took his hand away and replaced it with his lips and tongue, Pam turned her head, bunched the corner of the pillow up and let out a moan into the fabric.

*****

For well over a year, Pam had been having a hard time falling asleep. Her mind would constantly swirl with worry, worry about the growing distance between her and the man she had been with for her entire adult life, worry she didn't have the strength to end it, worry about the effect of everything on her daughter. Worries about uncertainly of the future kept up her up until 1, 2, 3 in the morning, worries about her past mistakes kept her sleep shallow and uneasy.

Tonight she decided to push the worries to the back of her mind as well as she could, and focus instead on Jim asleep with his arm around her, on his hand warm and enveloping hers, on his breath soft and steady on her neck.

Within a few deep breathes, she fell asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> This is officially the steamiest thing I've written so I'm nervous. Oh and if it wasn't clear I was definitely keeping JKras' current 13 Hours/Jack Ryan physique in mind when writing this ;-) I'm thinking about expanding this scenario to a multi-chapter, let me know your thoughts!  
> if you love that JAM, come join us at [MoreThanThat](http://mtt.just-once.net/fanfiction)
> 
> Check out our [Halloween Writing Contest](http://mtt.just-once.net/fanfiction/news.php?action=newsstory&nid=251)


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